Art of manufacturing folded paper articles



Oct.l 20, 1936. s. .1. CAMPBELL ART OF AMANUFACTURING F-OLDED PAPER ARTICLES Filed July 51, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 20, 1936. 5 1 CAMPBELL 2,057,879

ART OF MANUFACTURING FOLDED PAPER ARTICLES Filed July s1, 195s 4 sheets-sheet 2 ym/M zum 77@ Oct. 20, 1936. s. J, CAMPBELL ART OF MANUFACTURING FOLDED PAPER ARTICLES Filed July 51, 1953 l4 sheets-sheet s 1520627251" 562/7206/ a] Cam/0&4]

ct. 20, 1936. s CAMPBELL 2,057,89

ART OF MANUFACTURING FOLDED PAPER ARTICLES Filed July 51, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 4 3 g Y N fw N 3 Q :Y Y

30 packing guides.

Patented Oct. 2i), 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Samuel J. Campbell, Green Bay, Wis. Application July 3l, 1933, Serial No. 682,930

l 9 Claims. (Cl. 270-21) This invention relates to improvements in the art of manufacturing folded paper articles.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a novel and very compactly organl sion in a single unitary structure of means for `embossing one or more webs, printing at least one of the webs, folding, packing, and subsequently cutting the webs to produce the completed articles, whereby the entire operation is conducted' in synchronism on a single piece of apparatus; the provision of a novel organization of folding rolls and packing means, the folding rolls being vertical and having grooves in which the packing fingers act toperform the combined functions of strippers and packers to deliver the folded material directly from the rolls to the The provision of means for avoiding the streaking or the spoiling of the paper cut by a paper sawVwhereby it is made practicablefor the device to act in a continuous operation on a pre- ,35 viously folded and packed web to sever foldedf paper articles therefrom comprises thesubject matter of a companion application, Serial Number 741,042, ied April 13, 1936, entitled Art of manufacturing folded paper articles. 40 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folding, packgg and cutting apparatus embodying the inven- Figure 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus 4,5 shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown onFigure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in horizontal Figure 7 is a plan view on a reduced scale showing diagrammaticallyan elaboration of the machine illustrated in Figures 1 to 6.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 7, such mechanism also being 5 illustrated diagrammatically. v

Like parts are identified by the samerreferenc characters throughout the several views.

The folding, Packing, and cutting apparatus shown in Figs. l to 3, comprises a portion of the l0 apparatus shown in Figs. 7 and 8, but it is susceptible of independent use and hence will be described in considerable detail. The apparatus herein disclosed represents an improved means for the practice of the method disclosed in United States Letters Patent to Winter. No. 1,425,07 issued August s, 1922.

The general operation of the machine with particular reference to Figs. 7 and 8 boss the general design of a napkin upon the webs lil and Il, while rolls I6 and I1 may print a suitable trade mark thereon. One lor more of the webs leaving the embossing rolls may be printed in passing between platens I8 and press rolls i9 which are supplied with ink by the cus- 30 tomary train as shown in Fig. 8.

The embossed and/or printed webs enter the foldingpacking, and cutting apparatus across a suitable forming plate or plates 20, which fold the web longitudinally in-a manner well known to the' art. The folded web is squeezed between the rolls 2i and passes directly between the folding rolls 22 and 23. The squeeze rolls 2| and folding rolls 22 and 2B'are rotatable on vertical axes and have sufiicient length so that a plu- 40 rality of webs may be' acted upon simultaneously thereby.

The folding ro 22 and 23 are equipped with any suitable paper engaging means, and are arranged to act alternately upon the paper. so that.the web is engaged first by one roll and then by' the other, to be -folded in zigzag convolutions. There' are several web engaging means well-known tothe art. Fig. 3 illustrates broadly vise jaws. and tucking blades for this purpose, 5o but any other suitable means 'may be substituted for the purposes of the present application.

In the diagrammatic drawings of Figs. 7.and 8. the stripper and packer fingers are not disclosed. They'will be described hereinafter in connection 55 with Figs. 1 to 3. It is sufficient for the purposes of this general description to note the fact that the folded and convoluted web is discharged directly from the folding rolls 22 and 23 on to the packer guides 24 and 25 where it is acted upon by a cutting knife or saw 26 which may or may "not have teeth, according \o the particular requirements of the paper s .ck of fwhich the web is composed.

Having described the general operation of the machine, 1 shall new refe in d/etau to the web folding, packing, and cutting mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

The folding, packing, and cutting mechanism The folding, packing, and cutting mechanism of the present invention may be usedto produce a wide variety of napkin or other paper article folds, according to the type of former employed. vIn Figs. '1 and 8 I- have shown the familiar triangle plate at 20, whichfoldls the folded web. to produce a sixteenth fold napkin.

The folded web stands on edge as shown at IIIII From the squeeze rolls 2l it passes in' Fig. 1. directly between the folding rolls '22 and 23.

The folding rolls have peripheral grooves at 32 in which operate the packer and stripper fingers hereinafter to be described. As above noted, the folding rolls are so made as to engage the longitudinally folded web |06 alternately to draw it first in one direction and then the other, so as to produce a series of zigzag convolutions in a horizontal plane upon the packer guides 24 and 25.

In accordance with one conventional type of machine, I have illustrated tucker blades at 34 in each of the rolls 22 and 23 ca -acting with vise jaws 35 in the othe"roll,to thrust the papel' into the vise, first of one roll and then the other.

Laterally adjacent the folding rolls 22 and 23 are rock shafts 31 and 38. Each of these is' provided with a set of stripping and packing fingers 39 which normally ride in the grooves 32 of the respective rolls, as shown in connection with roll 22 in Fig. 3, but are movable out of the grooves as shown in connection with roll l23 in Fig. 3, topack the previously completed transverse fold in the web. Each of the rolls carries a crank pin 40 which transmits motion through a connecting rod 40' to the rock shaft 11,38 of the other roll.

The longitudinally and transversely folded and packed web is delivered on to the packing guides 24 and 25 between the adjustable side plates 4l and against the resistance of the weights 42 which are movable longitudinally of the guides along' the slots 43 therein. The folded, packed, and

convoluted web is now sawed or cut by the miie 26 to produce two sets of folded and packed paper articles, such as napkins or the like.

The saw or knife preferably comprises a band knife operating over two pulleys 45 and 46, the

'u'pper pulley 45 being adjustable to maintain the knife under proper tension, and the lower pulley being driven by chain 41 from the drive gearing which is concentrated in the bottom of the machine es shewn'm Fig. 2. The smell motors 46 are available to be operated when the knife 26 requires sharpening. The motors are' adjustable and are provided with abrasive wheels 49, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. They may operate on the knife while the machine is in operation without soiling the paper, due to the feature now to be described.

A knife used without special protection will discolor the severed sheets upon which it acts. This discoloration is produced even if the knife is not sharpened while in use. It results partly from small particles of metal and dirt carried by the knife partly from material worn from the knife while in use, and partly by the friction upon and possible scorching of the web due to the rapidity of motion of the knife.

On-the'frame of the machine just beyond the -abrasive wheels 49 in the direction of knife moveknife blade 26 operates. :This cleaning devicev removes foreign matter from the knife, particularly such as accumulates during the sharpening operation. In addition, however, it is very important that the paper be protected from the frictional abrasion of all portions of the knife except the edge used in cutting through the convoluted web. f

Fig. 4 shows in detail a guard V55 which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. A pair of plates connected together about a spacer 56 converge at 51 on opposite faces of the annulus knife 26, immediately adjacent the cutting edge 5B thereof. As soon as the knife has severedthe folded and convoluted web, the folded sections or articles are separated on the guides 24 and 25 by the converging marginal portions 51 of the guard plates, so that the area of the band knife required to give it suitable strength will not Acontact the margins of the severed articles. It has been found that the Ause of such a guard enables' the satisfactory commercial production, of clean' edged articles, such as could not otherwise be produced.

Operation The operation of the apparatus will be brieiiy reviewed. Y A

The webs lo and Il, delivered horizontally from parent rolls I2 and I3, may, if desired, be embossed and printed on their way to the folding, packing, and cutting apparatus. Where the cutting is deferred until after the embossed Vnections of the embossing, printing and folding apparatus will be suitably synchronized, and that each Vconvolution of the folded web will include two of the embossed or printed designs, the space between such designs registering with the line' upon which the convoluted web is severed by the knife 26.

'I'he one or more webs enter the folding and turn on vertical axes to produce the necessary transverse folds in regular convolutionsl prior to the cutting of the individual sheets from the web. 'Ille folded and convoluted web is preferably packed prior to cutting in order to facilitate the operation ofthe band knife which operatesin a given position intermediate the path upon which tle packed and convoluted portions of the web are forced. The movement of the convoluted portion of the web past th-knife severs the web in between the transverse or convolution-folds and leaves the completed folded product in two rows on each side of the knife.

'I'he present machine is a multiple machine handling a plurality of webs with -a single set Y of creasing and folding rolls and a single knife. The rolls may be extended to produce a inachine of any desired capacity.

'I'he substantially horizontal movement. of the web in passing through the machine is a feature making for great compactness, simplicity and economy of construction. As above enclosed'to prevent possible injury to the operator. The vertical disposition of the folding and creasing rolls enables them to be driven directly from the .mechanism at the bottom o f the machine. The exact details of the driving connections-are not disclosed because it will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art how driving connections may be organized to operate the various shafts disclosed.

I claimz- 1. 'Ihe combination with means for impressing designs successively upon a continuous web, .of

synchronously operable folding means arranged folding thereof, a second folding meansl operable upon said web transversely thereof and arranged to register successive folds in opposite directions with central portions of the designs impressed upon said web, whereby to produce a series of convolutions each containing portions of successive designs, and means for severing the successive convolutions-'intermediate the design portions carried thereby, whereby to produce a plurality of rows of folded articles bearing designs in proper registry therewith.

2. Paper converting apparatus comprising the combination with forming means for the longitudinal folding of a web, of means for transversely folding said web in the course of its delivery, and means in the path of the transversely folded web for severing said web intermediate the transverse fold lines therein.

3. Web converting apparatus comprising the' combination with folding rolls upon upright axes provided with folding means and alternatelyengageable with a web fed between said rolls, whereby to deliverV such a web in convoluted folds, a guide in'a position to receive the convoluted web, means resisting the advance of the V-:grooves.-'of rockcshafts disposed amenant rolls, ystripper fingers carried by said rock shafts I rolls and carried by the respective rock shafts,

web engaging means carried by the respective rolls and alternately operable upony said web for 'the convolution thereof, and means for oscillating said rock shafts alternately in a direction to withdraw their respective fingers from said grooves and to advance the convolutions of said web.

6. Paper converting apparatus comprising the combination with embossing means. means for feeding a plurality of webs in a superposed relation to be acted upon concurrently by saidA embossing means, means for printing one of the embossed webs in registry with the embossing thereon, means for longitudinally folding the webs, means for folding the webs transversely at points disposed centrally in their embossed areas, and means for severing the webs intermediate their respective embossed areas, whereby to provide prefolded embossed sheets.

'7. Paper converting apparatus comprising the combination with embossing means, means for feeding a plurality of webs in a superposed relation to be acted upon concurrently by said embossing means, means for printing one of the 'embossed webs in registry with the embossing thereon, means for longitudinally folding the webs, means for folding the webs transversely. at points disposed centrally in their embossed areas, and means for severing the webs intermediate their respective embossed areas. whereby to provide prefolded embossed sheets, the transverse folding means and the web severing means being common to the several webs.

8. 'I'he combination with a plurality of web feeding devices and means individual to said devices for longitudinally folding the web supplied thereby, of a single set of folding rolls common to the several devices and arranged to fold into transverse convolutions the longitudinally folded webs supplied by said devices, and a single cutting means acting upon the several webs intermediate the transverse fold lines thereof to sever the folded and convoluted-webs, whereby to produce concurrently a plurality of stacks of quarter folded paper articles.

9. Paper converting apparatus comprising the combination with a plurality of parent roll supports, of -a single embossing means for acting concurrently upon the webs drawn from said rolls, a separate printer for printing at least one of said webs, folders individual to the respective webs' for producing longitudinal folds therein, and a transverse folding device common to the several webs for correspondingly convoluting the several webs simultaneously, together with cutting means disposed in the path of the convoluted webs for severing them intermediate the transverse convolution folds, whereby to divide each such web into a plurality of stacks of quarter folded papenarticle A HBAMUELLCAHPBEIL u 

